


We found love (right where we are)

by dea_liberty



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-07
Updated: 2014-07-07
Packaged: 2018-02-07 21:52:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1915140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dea_liberty/pseuds/dea_liberty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry Styles hadn’t meant to come back to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as a celebrity. Except, somehow – <i>by accident</i> - he sort of had. Now he can't go anywhere without someone (or a lot of someones) screaming hysterically and or trying to charm him into falling in love with them. To make matters worse, he couldn't even eat anything he found just anywhere because it might be laced with a love potion. The absolute kicker though was the fact that the <i>one</i> person he'd been trying to impress when he'd apparently impressed the whole bloody world was probably the <i>only </i>person whose attention he hadn't managed to catch.</p>
            </blockquote>





	We found love (right where we are)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dancesongsoul](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dancesongsoul/gifts).



> There's friends to lovers! Pining! Protective boys! And much, much more. I did try to include as much of the requests in the assignment as possible but I am afraid there is a sad, sad lack of relationship schmoopiness or anything rated above "general audiences". Oops. Sorry!
> 
> But, dearest recipient, this verse might be revisited in the future so don't be a stranger!
> 
> I've always wanted to write a Harry Potter AU so thank you so much for giving me the chance to. I hope you enjoy the fic, and I hope you enjoy(ed?) your summer even more.

Harry Styles hadn’t meant to come back to school as a celebrity. Except, somehow – by _accident_ \- he sort of had. He stared as the door to their compartment on the Hogwarts Express slid shut behind Niall, not-very-effectively muffling the sounds of the screaming from outside.

The screaming was very, very loud and the corridor was very, very small. He could still see several faces pressed up against the glass. It was _weird_.

“They’re a bit loud, aren’t they?” Niall said, flopping down into his seat and throwing his feet into Harry’s lap. “You’re well famous.”

“It was just one song!” Harry protested, still staring in horror at the crowd outside. He just couldn’t understand it. He’d been trying to understand it since he’d stepped into King’s Cross, really, but he just _couldn’t wrap his head around it_. It had been just one song. One spur of the moment decision.

“Yeah, but it was in the Prophet _and_ they featured it on the Wizarding Wireless Network,” Zayn pointed out from the corner. “They even mentioned that you’d been approached by the Weird Sisters’ management team. Like, the feature wasn’t about Ed at all.”

Ed Sheeran. The singer-songwriter that had managed to make a name for himself in the Wizarding _and_ the Muggle world. He was a half-blood – part Weasley on his mother’s side – and Harry had known him almost all his life. He’d always enjoyed spending time with Ed, just hanging out and making music. Harry had never dreamt it would have got him into this position.

The screaming was getting louder. Harry was about to give into the urge to try the soundproofing charm again (he’d tried earlier and failed miserably) or maybe even to beg Zayn to cast a deafening charm on him (Zayn being both a Ravenclaw and therefore miles cleverer than him and Niall, and in the year above, therefore less likely to deafen him for life) – when a voice rose above the racket. 

Or, well, tried to.

“All right, all right, that’s enough!” Liam’s head appeared in the crowd, trying to part the screaming hoard aside and get to the compartment door. Which someone had opened. Harry belatedly realised that that was probably why the screaming had got louder all of the sudden.

The screaming continued. Loudly. Very, very loudly. Harry turned pleading eyes towards Zayn.

“Oh, _shut it_ already,” another voice – significantly louder and significantly more _annoyed_ \- had the corridor going quiet, all eyes on the speaker. Louis. Of course it was Louis. “Go on,” Louis said, less sharply, probably directed at the First Years who were in his direct line of sight. “Go find your own compartments already and give the boy a rest, yeah?” The crowd filed slowly away.

This was probably why, despite the fact that Louis had about three million pranks to his name over his six years at Hogwarts (and millions more that he claimed no knowledge of but Harry secretly suspected were his doing), Professor McGonagall had still chosen to make him Slytherin’s prefect.

Louis hadn’t been able to stop laughing for days. 

“Really, you Hufflepuffs are way too nice,” Louis said, dropping into the seat beside Zayn. “I think it’s our duty, as prefects, to sit here and make sure they don’t come back, don’t you, Liam?”

“I think so,” Liam said, looking almost serious. He sat down next to Louis and made himself comfortable. “After all, it’d be really irresponsible of me, as Head Boy, to let those students put themselves in danger standing in the corridors and stuff. It’s a long trip. They might fall over.”

“I swear,” Niall started, pointing an accusing finger at Liam. His lips were threatening to break out into a grin though so Harry wasn’t really all that concerned. Not that he was really ever concerned. Liam could put them all on the floor in a matter of seconds and he wouldn’t even have to lift his wand. “You used to be much better at this whole being responsible thing. I think Louis’ been a bad influence on you.”

Zayn snorted out a laugh and moved his foot to kick Louis’ lightly. “Louis’ a bad influence on everyone.”

“Am not!” Louis denied immediately, hand on his heart, feigning hurt. “I’m a prefect and everything.” Harry barked out a laugh before covering his mouth with his hands. “Et tu, brute? I thought I could count on you, Harry,” he continued dramatically, waving a finger in Harry’s direction. “Fame has changed you.”

Harry’s voice rose in protest immediately, “No, it’s not – I didn’t – I – “ 

Louis started cackling and, a moment later, the other three joined in. Which was really not at all fair. But the only response he could possible make to the laughter was, of course, to join in. 

“Your little face,” Louis said, learning over to pinch Harry’s cheek. “It was absolutely precious. Don’t worry, Hazza, we know you haven’t changed one bit.”

“Not one bit?” Harry asked, and Louis shook his head emphatically. 

“You’re still our little Harry,” he assured him before turning to steal Zayn’s comic book. Or, well, borrow because Zayn had apparently been expecting that and had handed it over quite willingly. 

_I have changed_ , Harry wanted to say. _I’ve grown up. Why won’t you see that?_

He didn’t, of course, because Liam was the only Gryffindor in this room and, besides, Harry just… no. Because then he’d have to explain, and like… admit that he had a crush the size of Dumbledore’s legacy on Louis. 

Or, well, less of a crush and more hopelessly in love. It was all very dramatic, and Louis would probably just pinch his cheek again.

In retrospect, this whole fame thing was probably Louis’ fault. Was probably definitely at least partly Louis’ fault.

Because Louis had been _there_ , smiling all beautiful and radiant and expectant at him when Ed had said into the microphone, “Harry, since you helped write this one, why don’t you come up here and sing it with me?” And when Harry had hesitated, and Ed had added, “someone, give the boy some encouragement,” Louis had started clapping and… and Harry had thought that maybe – just maybe – he could impress Louis for a change.

So he’d gone up there and he’d sung. And the crowd had cheered (and Louis had cheered), and it turned out, he’d impressed more than just Louis (or possible everyone except Louis). Ed’s Muggle label had called on Robin’s telephone, and the WWN had called in on the Floo network, and some people from the Weird Sisters’ label had actually come in to talk deals and contracts and recording with him and…

And now, there was a lot of screaming wherever he went.

Harry was still a little bit confused, to be honest.

Fingers snapped in front of his face, and Harry blinked rapidly, sitting back in his seat, eyes focusing on Louis. 

“There you are,” Louis said fondly just as Harry felt his cheeks starting to heat up. “Always with your head in the clouds. A right Luna Lovegood, you are.”

“Hey!” Harry said defensively. “She’s one of the heroes of the War – and a Ravenclaw too,” he added, nodding in Zayn’s direction, words losing heat as Louis’ lips started tugging up into a grin. “Don’t disrespect her.”

“I wasn’t,” Louis said, holding his hands up defensively. “Never said it was a bad thing, did I? Ms. Lovegood’s one of the most brilliant witches of our time. I’ve always been well impressed with her. Want half my chocolate frog?” Louis bit into the frog before it could even try to hop away, offering the other half – the bigger one – to Harry.

Harry was appeased. “Okay,” he answered, taking the peace offering (or piece offering, Harry thought, grinning a little bit to himself) and putting the whole thing in his mouth. He leaned closer. “Who’d you get?”

“Jocelind Wadcock.” Louis answered, turning the card over to show him. 

“Record-holding Chaser for Puddlemere United,” Liam said, nodding approvingly. “Good card.”

“Common though,” Louis said, sighing. “I already have one. D’you want it?”

“Yeah,” Liam answered, reaching for it. “I gave mine to Roo a few months ago. Said one of her friends was pretty desperate for it. Apparently, she met Jocelind Wadcock at a game or something and became a fan, and then couldn’t get her hands on a card.”

“It probably knew she was looking for it,” Niall pointed out. “They seem to know, don’t they? And they make it really bloody hard to get the ones you really want – and before you know it, wham! Some of the cards have changed.” 

Niall gave Louis a grin and threw a snot flavoured Bertie Botts Every Flavoured Bean at him. At least, Harry thought it was snot flavoured. Somehow, Niall was always much better at knowing the gross ones from the nice ones than he was, and he always ended up eating Niall’s rejects. “In a couple of years time, we’ll be searching for Tommo’s card, won’t we? And I bet the little bastards’ll be as bad as you and no one who wanted you’d ever get you.”

Louis grinned and threw the bean back at him. Niall caught it in his mouth. So maybe it’d been a nice one rather than snot. Or maybe it was food and Niall just didn’t care. “That’s the plan,” Louis declared. “I’m going to be go where I want to go and be with who I want to be with. Everyone else can just suck it.”

Harry sneaked a glance at Louis from behind his fringe and sighed. Wasn’t that just too close to the truth – to Harry’s truth – to be entirely funny?

“What’s with the frown, Hazza?” Louis asked. He was always far too perceptive for his own good when it came to Harry’s moods. And Harry… well, Harry couldn’t lie for shit.

“Umm… I want it,” he said and, at everyone’s confused look, he clarified, “your Chocolate Frog Card.”

Louis laughed again, switching seats to wedge himself in beside Harry and throw an arm over his shoulders. “I promise I’ll give you the first one, okay?” he said, tangling his fingers in Harry’s hair. “But I think you’ll find you’re going to be on one of those before I am. And then you have to give me _your_ first one. Deal?”

Harry leaned into that touch, lips tugging up into a happy smile as he closed his eyes contently. “Deal.”

***

Harry was hiding in a bathroom. He really wanted to be able to call it something else, but there was just nothing else he could say instead; he was, quite literally, hiding in the bathroom.

“He must have gone this way,” a girl outside shouted. The sound of footsteps came closer. Harry went very, very still as it stopped right in front of the door. He could almost feel their gazes, locked on the door – on the “gentlemen” sign above it and the figure of the little waving man. After a few heart-stopping moments, the footsteps moved away. 

“We don’t want to be late for Charms on the first day,” one of the girls said. Maybe it was the same one who’d shouted his name far, far too loudly in the Great Hall this morning as he’d been trying to eat breakfast. The shouting had made even Hagrid’s conversation difficult to make out.

“We’ll probably catch him at lunch time,” said another voice, as the group got further away. “Or maybe we’ll manage to spot him between classes.” Giggling and more chatter, but they were too far away for him to make out the words. 

He let out the breath he’d been holding and slid down to sit on the floor.

“Oh _Merlin_ , it’s Harry Styles!” said a voice, too loud and too high-pitched in the echoing bathroom. Harry’s eyes snapped up as he started to scramble up to his feet and –

“ _Louis_ ,” he breathed, sliding back down with a thump, knocking his head back against the wall. “Oh, thank Merlin, it’s you.”

Louis laughed and moved closer, sliding down to sit beside him, knocking his shoulder against Harry’s lightly. “It’s just me,” he said, throwing his arm over Harry’s shoulder when Harry moved to knock his head back against the wall again. He tugged him in closer until Harry could comfortably rest his head on Louis’ shoulder. “C’mon, Hazza, what’s wrong? I thought you’d grown out of hiding in the bathroom.”

Harry had met Louis on his very first day at Hogwarts in a bathroom. Well, second, if you counted the journey on the Hogwarts Express and the Sorting and all of that. But Harry liked to think of it as his first official day because he felt as if Louis had been with him from the very beginning. It was a comforting thought.

So, it had been Harry’s first day at school, and Harry had been hiding in one of the cubicles in the bathroom.

He’d been trying not to be sick or cry or just have a complete and utter nervous breakdown because he was afraid he was going to let down his family, and he was going to be terrible and he wouldn’t be able to do anything, especially compared to Gemma, who was brave and beautiful and brilliant – and maybe he should have asked the Sorting Hat to put him in Gryffindor, but _Niall_ was in Hufflepuff and they’d been friends since forever and… and really, he’d been feeling lost and homesick and overwhelmed.

And Louis’ head had popped up over the wall separating the two cubicles, blinking down at him, confusion clear.

“Oops,” Harry had muttered because he was supposed to be in class, and what if this was a prefect and he was going to get in trouble, and he was going to lose House points before he’d even started. His heart skipped a bit and he’d felt dangerously close to crying again. “I – um – I…“

“Hi,” Louis had said cheerfully. “I’m Louis.” He had clambered over the wall easily and dropped down to sit opposite Harry, sticking out a hand.

“I’m Harry. Are you a prefect?” He’d asked a bit stupidly. In retrospect, it really was a dumb question because Louis hadn’t looked like a Fifth year.

At the time, he’d been a little startled by Louis’ laughter. “No,” he’d said emphatically. “Definitely not. I’m only in Third year.” That was when Harry had noticed his tie. Slytherin House colours.

For a moment, Harry’s blood had run cold because he was sitting alone with a Slytherin, and everyone said that it was never a good idea to be alone with a Slytherin, especially if you weren’t a full blood, but before Harry had been able to panic, Louis had reached out and curled his fingers around Harry’s, drawing them away from his knees and squeezing them reassuringly before asking, “What’s wrong?”

It had been the start of, as they say, a beautiful friendship, and when Louis had hugged him and told him very firmly that he was going to be all right and that he’d be brilliant, Harry had believed him. And so, Harry’s First year at Hogwarts had _really_ started…

And now, apparently, Harry’s Fifth year looked like it was going to start in the same way.

“They’re everywhere,” Harry said, and yes, that was definitely a whine in his voice. “Louis, I can’t get away. There’s _so much screaming_ , and like – with the First years, I kind of understand? They also don’t know the castle very well so I could get away but the _others_! I was here last year too, you know.”

“You don’t say,” Louis deadpanned. “You were?”

“Shut up,” Harry said, but it served Louis’ purpose; Harry was smiling at that.

“Sorry,” Louis said, not look sorry at all – and Harry was okay with that. Like he always was. “Do go on.”

Harry let out a soft sigh and rested his chin on his knees. “I just… I don’t mind,” he said earnestly, “signing things and… and photos and stuff. I don’t even really mind the staring? It’s weird, but like… I can live with it? It’s just… the screaming.”

“So put a Silencing Charm on them,” Louis suggested. 

“I can’t,” Harry admitted. “Well, I could try? Like, I read the theory and – and we’re supposed to learn it this year – “

“Do not tell me you’ve never tried it,” Louis said with a raised eyebrow. “Don’t disappoint me, Hazza.”

“I tried it,” Harry admitted. “And like, the frog swelled up and started making a right racket. Gemma couldn’t stop laughing. And… and can you imagine if one of those girls swelled up and started screaming even louder? That’d be horrible. I’d never be able to look her in the eyes again. I’d have to like… do everything she said, never mind the loud screaming.”

Louis laughed and reached over to ruffle his hair lightly. “You really are such a Hufflepuff,” he said fondly. “C’mon, popstar.” Louis got to his feet, reaching down to grab Harry’s hand and tug him up with him. “I’ll walk you to class, and _I’ll_ put a Silencing Charm on anyone who’s screaming too loudly. I’ve had plenty of practice on my sisters.”

Harry let out a laugh and let Louis pull him up, brushing the dust from his robes before glancing at the door and back at Louis again.

“Promise,” Louis said with a grin, opening it with a flourish and gesturing for Harry to go out first. “I’ll keep you safe. Those scary, scary girls won’t get you.”

He was definitely being mocked, and having to be escorted to class made him feel a little bit like a child – the same one he was desperately trying not to be in front of Louis – but he did feel a bit more confident with Louis there. Walking by Louis’ side, Harry was pretty sure he could face anything, screaming girls or… or anything. Everything. Could be him and Louis (and, actually Zayn and Liam and Niall would also be really great) against the world, and he wouldn’t be afraid.

He was maybe in a little bit too deep.

Still, just like he’d been absolutely certain everything would be okay on his first day at school, Harry thought maybe – just maybe – with Louis by his side, this school year wouldn’t be so bad either.

***

He was wrong. Oh Merlin, Harry was wrong. So, so wrong in so many ways. Nothing was all right and this year was going to be terrible. It wasn’t even the weekend yet, and this was already his third visit to the hospital wing.

“How are you feeling, Harry?” Madam Pomfrey asked, moving to his side and bending down so she could meet his eyes. Which… at least he could _see_ her so that was an improvement on his last visit (yesterday morning) and he recognised her so _that_ was an improvement from his first visit of the year (three days ago).

“Um,” Harry said, trying to figure out how he was feeling. “Better?” Ish, anyway. Better than earlier when he hadn’t been able to see anything at all. At least Madam Pomfrey was _visible_. The very visible Madam Pomfrey raised an eyebrow, and Harry quickly added, “Everything’s still a bit blurry but I can actually see things. Some things.”

“That is an improvement,” she said. She was about to say something else when a familiar head peeked around the curtain. “Ah, Mr. Tomlinson,” she said instead, lips curling up into a smile. “I was wondering when you were going to show up again.”

“How’s he doing?” Louis asked. “Has he fallen madly in love with you yet?”

“All right, I believe,” she said. “On the way to recovering his eyesight completely. And without any sudden urges to kiss me, unless he’s holding out on me.”

Harry choked on a breath as Louis burst out laughing, pulling back the curtain and gesturing to someone outside. “All right, boys, you can all come over now. They’re not snogging or anything.”

There was a guffaw of laughter before Niall, Liam and Zayn appeared. Even Madam Pomfrey was laughing despite the fact that she was clearly trying to look stern.

“Safe to say that third year really needs to figure out her love at first sight charm,” Niall said, perching on the edge of the bed.

“What I’m beginning to gather from this past week,” Madam Pomfrey said, leaning over to check Harry’s eyes again, “is that the majority of the school needs a brush up on charms and very probably in potions as well. Either that, or the Professors need to be much more diligent in checking the quality of some of the resources these students are working from.”

Harry groaned. “I’d really rather not be a test subject for any of those resources, Madam Pomfrey.”

“And it’s probably best,” Louis added, moving to settle by Harry’s head and stroke light fingers through Harry’s hair, “that they don’t succeed or else there really might be a riot over Harry here.”

“Big as the Battle of Hogwarts, I’m sure,” Madam Pomfrey said with a soft laugh, shaking her head. “As soon as Harry gets his vision back fully, you may escort him back to class. If you feel strange in any way, Harry, please come back and see me.”

They watched Madam Pomfrey head towards one of the other students in the hospital wing before their attention turned back to Harry. 

“I reckon she should start saving this bed in the corner here just for you, Harry,” Liam said, entirely unhelpfully if you asked Harry’s opinion. He made a noise of protest but Liam continued, “It’s apparently one that used to be used by Harry Potter.”

Zayn snorted. “It’s a bed for famous Harrys. After you’re done with it, it’s going to have to go into a museum or something.”

“We could charge money,” Niall piped up. “You know, charge boys and girls money to sit on the same bed Harrys Potter and Styles lay on.”

“I’m pretty sure Harry Potter was in here for more heroic things than getting hit with a love spell gone awry,” Harry said miserably, tilting his head up into Louis’ hand when Louis stopped petting him.

“Or eating a cake with a badly brewed love potion in it,” Louis added.

“One which was, might I add, that was just not-at-all-suspiciously left in the common room just as Harry was walking through,” Niall said unhelpfully. He was the worst friend ever. Actually, they all were. Harry really needed to find new ones. Except that, more likely than not, these days, any new friends he made would try to… to like. Steal his underwear and sell it or something. And maybe – just _maybe_ \- they wouldn’t love him quite as much.

“I thought a house elf left it there,” Harry tried to defend himself. “They do it all the time! And, I haven’t eaten anything I’ve found lying around since.” Which was, if you asked Harry, a bit of a pain. The house elves used to leave things – cake and fruit and other lovely, lovely delicious things – around for him all the time. He was actually pretty upset he couldn’t appreciate those kind gestures anymore.

Louis, seeming to sense that his mood wasn’t entirely being played up for his friends, brushed his thumb lightly over his ear, gentle and soothing. 

“I’m sure the house elves understand,” Louis said. “Besides, it gives you an excuse to go down and visit them, which I _know_ they appreciate. I went down there the other day and they were playing your track. Dapper and Dinky are apparently huge fans.”

Harry let himself be soothed, sighing softly before relaxing back into Louis’ touch. “I s’pose so,” he said a little less sullenly.

“C’mon then,” Niall said, hopping off the bed. “Sort your robes out and let’s go to Care of Magical Creatures. Hagrid said he’d have something _really_ awesome for us today.”

“Just make sure that something doesn’t bite his hand off because he can’t judge how close he’s sticking it,” Zayn warned, picking up Harry’s books from where they were on the table in the corner. 

Niall laughed. “Yes, mum, I’ll make sure our baby doesn’t get injured.”

“That’s what you said yesterday,” Liam pointed out with a half-grin. “And this morning, what happens? He gets hit with a curse.”

They continued to bicker as they made their way out of the hospital wing. Harry was fine right up until the moment they stepped out in the courtyard, and the crowd of students suddenly stopped whatever they were doing and turned to stare. Oblivious – or, at least, pretending to be for the sake of Harry, Harry thought – Niall, Zayn and Liam continued towards Hagrid’s Hut. Harry felt himself tensing up with every step he took, every time he caught someone’s eyes, jumping a little every time someone made a movement. To be honest, he was sort of just wondering where the next love spell attempt was going to come from, and he wasn’t entirely sure if this was worse than the _screaming_ over those first few days.

“Relax,” Louis said, right against his ear, making Harry jump. A moment later, he relaxed as he was told, and Louis’ hand settled on his waist, guiding him after the others.

Relax. Right. Easier to do when Louis didn’t move his hand away. Easier to turn and give the people staring a smile too. Even easier to give a little First Year a bit of a wave – and just like that, it was as if whatever spell had been on the courtyard was broken; apart from the occasional sound that sounded like the start of hysterical screaming (ohgod please no) or overwhelmed crying, most people tried to get back to whatever it was they were doing before the five of them had stepped out, and Harry got back to pretending people weren’t sneaking glances at him all the time.

Much easier. Especially when Louis didn’t let him go until it was time for him to head back to the castle for his own classes.

***

Things got easier after that. Harry didn’t actually know _exactly_ what had happened, he could only guess at it, but it definitely got easier. Better. Less people trying to curse him or hex him or feed him things laced with love potions, which was generally just… great. Very good. Really fucking awesome, actually. 

He suspected it had something to do with the fact that Louis had practically become a shadow at his side, which wasn’t _all_ that different from how it had been before, but it was more noticeable now, Harry supposed. Possibly because, nine times out of ten, Louis was touching him. They’d always been handsy though, so maybe that was just Harry’s own wishful thinking.

Then again, maybe it wasn’t _just_ to do with Louis. Ever since that one incident about two days after the whole “love at first sight” charm thing when a sixth year had actually flung herself off one of the moving staircases and tackled him, Harry now went everywhere with at least two out of four of his best friends sandwiching him in between them. They had a _schedule_ and everything. 

He didn’t find out the reason for things getting easier until just before Hogsmeade Weekend, and when he did find out, it was by mistake.

“What do you mean I can’t ask Harry Styles to Hogsmeade with me?” A voice demanded from around the corner. Harry froze. He wasn’t stopping to eavesdrop or anything (really, honestly!) but… it just didn’t seem polite to barge in on a conversation about him.

And, all right, maybe he was a little bit curious about the answer to that too.

“You just can’t,” someone else answered, voice patient. 

“Is it because he’s famous? Because like… that’s not – I mean, people say he’s really down to earth and stuff,” the first voice said. “And, I mean, I’m sure he gets a lot of propositions like that but – ”

“It’s not because he’s famous,” the second voice answered exasperatedly. “Will you just listen for a moment, Estelle?” There was a moment of silence. Harry assumed “Estelle” gave her as-yet unnamed friend the go-ahead. “It’s because… well, you know Angie?”

“From Gryffindor?”

“Yep. You didn’t hear her complaining about it last week? Because Merlin, she was racking up such a fuss, I swear everyone heard about it.”

“The whole thing with her throwing herself at him from the stairs? That was so tacky. I wouldn’t do anything like that.”

“Yes – but that’s not the _point_ ,” Estelle’s friend went on impatiently. “The point is later, right, when she went up to her dorm, all of her stuff was upside down.”

“What?”

“Upside down. Everything. Neatly arranged – perfectly, neatly arranged too – like she’d just been… turned upside down.” Estelle gasped – which was probably a good thing because Harry did exactly the same thing.

Harry knew only one person who could manage something like that – so detailed and perfectly executed – in that short a time.

“Louis Tomlinson.”

“Right!” Estelle’s friend continued. “So like, Angie comes into breakfast the next morning making a _huge_ racket over it, going up to the Slytherin table and being all “What did you do?! That’s abusing your privileges as a prefect!” and all that at Louis… Where _were_ you? Because she really made a scene. Anyway,” she continued – good thing too, because Harry was sort of wondering where the hell he’d been when this was all kicking off as well. “Louis just looks at her and raises an eyebrow and says very slowly, “Well, you seemed to like flying so much when you threw yourself off that staircase, I thought I was doing you a favour.” To which Angie was all “oh my god! How dare you! If you’d wanted to do me a favour, you’d have delivered Harry to me!” and like – get this – he just goes, “I don’t share” calm as anything back to her.”

“He said what?” Harry didn’t realise until they’d turned around to look at him that he’d actually said those words out loud.

“That he doesn’t share,” one of the girls said slowly while the other one seemed to just be staring at him in shock. “It’s the same thing he said to Jordan when he caught him trying to make a love potion to slip into something for you.”

The other girl seemed to come to life at that. “Is _that_ why Jordan’s hair was green all last week?”

“Also why Carol has the world’s biggest zit on her nose, and why Freddie’s cat is still floating just out of his reach.”

“And also why everyone’s been _leaving me alone_ ,” Harry said. “Oh _Salazar’s balls_ , why didn’t I see it?”

“So… you’re not together?” one of the girls asked tentatively. “Um. Does that – does that maybe mean you’ll go to Hogsmeade with me this weekend?”

Harry blinked at her, mouth opening and closing a few times as he tried to figure out what to say to that that wouldn’t sound rude or upset her or something because, Merlin, he hated it when girls cried, and if she started crying, he wouldn’t be able to go and find Louis before dinner. “Um.”

The other girl, who Harry was now assuming was Estelle’s friend rather than Estelle herself, came to his rescue. She rolled her eyes and threw her arm around her friend. “Trust me, Est,” she said with a shake of her head. “Even a date with the famous Harry Styles isn’t worth bringing on the wrath of Louis Tomlinson. C’mon, babe, come to Hogsmeade with me instead.” At which point, she led her friend away.

Harry made a mental note to figure out what her name was and send her the biggest box of Honeydukes chocolate he could buy.

That was for the weekend though. For now, he had to find Louis.

It turned out it wasn’t actually all that hard to do because Louis had been looking for him.

“Hazza, there you are!” Louis shouted, jogging up to him as the staircase moved in the right direction. Louis seemed to be lucky like that – or he’d found a way to bribe the castle into doing exactly what he wanted, which wasn’t as far-fetched as it might have sounded to someone who didn’t know Louis as well as Harry did. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you. You’re not supposed to wander off on your own.”

“Why not?” Harry asked, raising an eyebrow at him. “No one’s tried anything in weeks.”

“Well, you just never know, right?” Louis said with a shrug, throwing his arm casually over Harry’s shoulder and tugging him along beside him. Despite Harry’s resolve to be a little angry or annoyed or… something at Louis, he melted into his side, tucking in close. “People are a bit crazy.”

“But probably not crazy enough to risk the wrath of the great Louis Tomlinson,” Harry said slowly. “You know, the greatest prankster since the Weasley twins themselves.”

Louis’ pause was barely discernable but Harry had been looking for it. “What are you even talking about, Haz?”

“Well, you know,” Harry said, trying for an air of indifference. Or something. He wasn’t great at acting so it probably came out a little strained. “Seeing Louis Tomlinson doesn’t share, and all those who try anything on me get hexed so badly even Madam Pomfrey can’t figure out how to undo it.”

Louis stopped walking so suddenly it took Harry’s brain a second to catch up. It was enough space for him to turn around and look back at Louis, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow expectantly. “Isn’t that right, Lou?”

“Uh.” Louis let out a slow breath and reached up to adjust his fringe – a nervous habit that Harry had picked up on a long time ago. As good at lying to everyone else as Louis was, he’d never been very good at hiding his tells when he was lying to _Harry_. “You said – well, you were experiencing some difficulties with your many admirers,” he said eventually. “I figured it was the best way to discourage it.”

“By pretending to be my boyfriend,” Harry said emotionlessly. 

“By pretending to be your boyfriend,” Louis confirmed. “So they’d leave off. Leave you alone.”

“So they’d leave me alone,” Harry repeated.

“Yeah,” Louis said before he added, seemingly unable to stop himself, “because you wanted to be left alone, right? You wanted them to stop trying to charm you and slip you love potions and throw themselves at you and screaming and – you wanted that. You said so. So I made it happen.”

“By pretending to be my boyfriend,” Harry said again.

Louis nodded. “I was trying to protect you. It worked, didn’t it? No one’s bothered you. I was just trying to protect you!”

“By pretending to be my boyfriend.”

“Why do you _keep saying that_?” Louis demanded, looking at Harry like _he_ was the one being unreasonable. Like he was the one who was wrong. Harry hadn’t even done anything! He’d just… he’d…. He hadn’t wanted it to be just pretending.

“Because,” Harry exploded, “you pretended to – do you have any idea – no, of course not because you’re – “ Harry took a shaky breath and willed himself not to cry or do something equally stupid. “All that – all that touching. And walking with me everywhere and. And worrying about me and – and the _touching_. That was you pretending to by my boyfriend.”

“To protect you,” Louis said, trying to sound firm and sure, but Harry could hear the tremor in it. Or, at least, he imagined he could. Maybe he was imagining the fact that Louis had gone a bit pale too.

His breath hitched. “I don’t _want_ you to protect me,” he said – and Merlin, he felt like a child. Every time Louis said it was to protect him – everything to _protect him_ like he was some helpless woodland creature or something – Harry felt a little bit smaller. “I don’t _want_ your protection.”

“Well, you sure haven’t been complaining about it these last few weeks,” Louis said with a snort. “What with letting me walk you to class and back to your common room, and with everyone _backing the fuck off_ you. You seemed to be just fine with it then.”

“I don’t _want_ \- “

“Or when you’re eating breakfast and not worrying about there being a love potion in it.”

“Lou – I just – I don’t – it’s not _protection_ \- “

“Or when you’re oblivious to everyone and everything around you but no one’s making any moves to molest you again, you weren’t complaining about it then.”

“I don’t want your protection, I want you to _love me_!” 

Louis’ mouth shut with an audible snap.

Harry sniffed, wiping at his eyes with the back of his hand. They’d started to water, the traitors. His voice was stupidly, horrible shaky when he said more quietly, “I don’t want you to pretend to be my boyfriend for my protection, okay?” 

Louis was silent for another moment – nothing made one fucking noise in the corridor, not even the paintings (who were probably all eavesdropping on the conversation anyway). Nothing. No noise except for Harry’s stupidly pitiful sniffle.

When Louis didn’t say anything else, Harry’s shoulders slumped and he said quietly, as firmly as he could, “So stop it. Stop pretending because I don’t – because it’s not fair. Just… Please.”

Louis finally managed words, licking his lips before saying, “I do love you.”

Harry snorted, wiping at his eyes again. “As a little brother, yeah,” he said, shaking his head and turning away. “I got it. Always protecting me, making sure I’m okay – you love me, and that’s great, and I appreciate that just – “

Light fingers curled firmly around his wrist before he felt himself being turned around – and then Louis’ lips were on his.

Louis was kissing him.

And he was pulling back before Harry could respond. Harry wrapped his arms around him and absolutely refused to let him get any further away.

“I love you,” Louis said again, biting his lip, clearly unsure. Staying still because Harry wasn’t giving him much of a choice. “Definitely not in the brotherly way.”

Harry’s lips tugged up into a smile – into a grin that he was pretty sure was splitting his face open. Felt like it. Definitely, definitely felt too wide and too ridiculous, but Louis was grinning back, all crinkly-eyed and beautiful and – 

“You love me,” Harry repeated gleefully. “You actually love me.”

Louis laughed, sound a little bit hysterical. “Yeah, yeah, I do.”

“You _love me_ ,” Harry said again, laughing with him, arms tightening around him. “You actually, _actually_ love me.”

“Oh kiss him already, you fool,” said a painting, and while Louis was clearly about to turn to give it his best glare, Harry thought it was actually pretty good advice.

He let out a soft, breathless giggle as Louis shifted to flip the bird at their spectator, and turned Louis’ face back to him, leaning in for a proper kiss – one that took Louis almost no time at all to respond to.

Judging by the noise from behind him, Louis had managed to stick his middle finger up at the poor painting after all. But Harry was also guessing she was still watching them (the voyeur). And possibly that she wasn’t the only one.

Not that he cared. He was kissing _Louis_. The whole bloody castle could watch for all he cared.

Actually, strike that; the whole fucking world – Wizarding and Muggle – could watch and Harry wouldn’t care one little bit. He finally had the one thing he’d been trying to get when Ed had pulled him up on stage that day: Louis’ full attention. 

And he was planning on keeping it.


End file.
